~ So there I was with a plate (and a mouth) full of pie, choking back some of the emotions that the holiday season is always sure to sweep in. This year, my baker’s therapy was recreating a family tradition (from my husband’s family), Oats ‘N Honey Granola Pie. The “real” recipe called for a full cup of corn syrup, ½ cup of brown sugar, chocolate chips, and the star of the show – honey & oat granola bars (which contain canola oil, corn flour, brown sugar syrup, soy flour, and soy lecithin – all ingredients that we no longer call “safe” for our Molly).

This guest blog post, about how compounding pharmacies can be a tremendous resource for families raising children with ASD, comes from Ashley Dick, who is a practicing compounding pharmacist and co-owner of PharmaCare Compounding Solutions in Tennessee.
Helping the Medicine Go Down: Addressing the special needs of ASD patients
By Ashley Dick, PharmD
For the parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the many difficulties that come with caring for their child can cause significant stress and frustration, to the point of being overwhelming. Often amplifying these feelings is the fact that the very characteristics of the condition make it exceedingly difficult to treat the symptoms or simply help the child to feel better. Because of the extreme sensory and dietary issues experienced by many ASD patients, traditional forms of medication or nutritional supplements are either difficult or impossible to administer, but there is a solution through pharmacy compounding.

Each year the onset of spring means one thing across the country when you have a child with autism, conferences! Information on a variety of topics can be found across the world on subjects like social skills, behavior management, self help, independent living and last but not least, biomedical interventions. Small, local non-profits as well as large formal organizations continue to realize the need to further the understanding of autism in order to promote purposeful change.

The story of how our son was recovered after nearly 3 years of treatment.

The story of how our son was recovered after nearly 3 years of treatment.

Told with the intensity of a medical thriller, the extraordinary story of how Clay Whiffen and his family conquered autism.

When Clay Whiffen was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, his parents didn’t know where to turn. They refused to believe that he could not be cured, and began to try every therapy they could afford -- and many they couldn’t. Frantically they worked, knowing that Clay slipped further away every day. When intensive medical testing revealed that Clay no longer fit the criteria for any condition on the autism spectrum, the Whiffens’ wildest dreams were realized.

Anytime you see dark circles under the eyes, think "something is trying to get out of her body and is having a hard time doing so". The "something" may vary. It is very often a toxin, or could be a dead virus or bacteria. The channel(s) that it's trying to leave through may vary. The liver is often involved, either primarily or secondarily.
Look for clues, to what channel is overloaded. Things like the following might tell you the organs primarily involved:
- Constipation or other bowel issues (bowels/liver)
- Dehydration (kidneys)
- Pain or difficulty in urination (kidney)

Filing Your Own Insurance Claims
I find that most of the time, since we see so many alternative and "off the beaten track" type practitioners, I have to file the insurance claims myself. This is a task I thorougly detest, so I've done everything I can to make it as easy and pleasant as possible, to help myself get it done. Here's my system:
You will need:
- A white binder, the kind with clear pockets on the front, back and spine for putting in your own covers
- 8 pocket tab dividers for the binder, the kind with pockets on both sides, and insertable tabs

What Worked for Us
Here's an account of all the stuff we've tried in the 10 years since my son was diagnosed with PDD, later Autism. Here's a little "nutshell" account of it, so you can get a sense of the progression:
Chronology:
1996 Diagnosed PDD-NOS "mild to moderate" by a neurologist in St. Petersberg, Florida
1996-8 Placed in a mixed exceptionalities special day class in Sarasota, FL
1996 We started him on high-B6 vitamins, the first thing that helped
1997 We started our own ABA program 20 hrs/wk
1998 We moved across the country back to California

Just thinking about all the places I've found to buy good things for my son, and thought I'd put them all down, in case people are looking for good sources. I do think that with our autistic guys we have to go all out in terms of quality and easy absorption, and buy the best and purest stuff we can find.
Small disclaimer: I work for Brainchild, and my son's used them for over 6 years now.
Online Supplement Purchasing - What to look for: